$899 is a lot of money for a 64GB 10.6-inch tablet. It's $70 more even than the most expensive iPad—and that comes with 3G/LTE support and GPS. But that's the price Microsoft has set for the low-end Surface with Windows 8 Pro.

$1028 (to include a Type Cover keyboard; $1018 if you plump for the Touch Cover instead) isn't, however, a huge amount of money for a 64GB 10.6-inch Ultrabook with a 1920×1080 multitouch screen and stylus, all in a package that weighs about 2.5-2.6 pounds total and comes in at 20mm thick. Microsoft said Surface Pro would be priced like an Ultrabook, and it is.

Four to 4.5 hours of battery life is just plain lousy for a tablet—any tablet. Tablets are widely expected to have "all-day" battery life. That means eight hours at a minimum; ideally nine to 10.

On the other hand, four to 4.5 hours of battery life is not too bad for a $1028, almost-11-inch laptop. It's a little on the low end, perhaps—the 11-inch MacBook Air gets about five hours—but it's by no means horrible. The 1920×1080 screen, conversely, puts it at the higher end of the market. So too does the build quality and the digitizer/pen input.

Compared to any of the popular tablets—the various iPads, the Nexus 7, Amazon's range—the Surface Pro is absurdly overpriced and its battery life is pathetic. Compared to an Ultrabook, it's not that bad: a little ahead in some ways, a little behind in others.

The thing is, in spite of its pricing, the Surface Pro isn't an Ultrabook. The kickstand and the keyboard covers work pretty well if you're at a desk or a table, but they come with worst-in-class touchpads (they're netbook size and quality, rather than Ultrabook size and quality). That fixed screen orientation is also less usable when a desk of an appropriate height isn't available.

This makes Surface Pro an awkward sale. Buyers will inevitably compare Surface Pro to other devices on the market that look similar and appear to fit the same basic constraints—that means comparing to tablets, and this will be catastrophic. Microsoft needs to persuade buyers to regard Surface Pro as not another tablet but as more like an Ultrabook. But what an odd kind of Ultrabook it is.

Surface RT was difficult to categorize, and Surface Pro, if anything, exacerbates that difficulty. Surface RT is very similar to an iPad in terms of size, weight, and battery life, but it offers a little something more than a straight tablet: it has the keyboard covers, the desktop, and four of the Office applications. Although Surface RT calls itself a PC, the lack of software compatibility leaves it impossible to compare to the PCs that went before it.

Surface Pro, however, falls down hard in comparison to other tablets due to its weight, price, and battery life. It compares much more favorably to Ultrabooks, and yet its form factor is identical to that of Surface RT (just a little thicker and a bit heavier). It's shaped, sized, and built like a tablet, but you can't actually use it like a tablet. It's too heavy, and the battery will give out mid-way through your working day.

But those keyboard covers and desktop really come into their own on the Surface Pro, because it's running Windows 8 Pro on a fast x86 processor. As such, it will be compatible with virtually any Windows application you throw at it. Surface Pro is a PC. It doesn't look like a traditional PC and, with those touchpads, you might not want to use it as a traditional PC. But on the inside, that's what it is.

Surface RT offers a "tablet plus" experience. The value you ascribe the "plus" depends on the value you ascribe Office. If you need those capabilities, it's a huge bonus; if you don't, the Surface is a curious beast, wedding a competent touch user interface to a vestigial, anachronistic desktop.

But what is Surface Pro? It's not "tablet plus plus," taking the basic concept of the Surface RT and adding even more extra value. It compares too unfavorably with other tablets in a number of key areas. But equally, it's not the "PC plus" that Microsoft argues is the real future of the PC and tablet markets. Its PC capabilities and aspirations are undermined by being shoehorned into a tablet form factor.

The end result is a product that does a big chunk of what a tablet can do and a big chunk of what a PC can do, but it's not a perfect replacement for either. If Surface Pro is held up against conventional tablets, the result will be catastrophic, but the comparisons with Ultrabooks aren't clear-cut either.

The Surface Pro is not the only Windows 8 device that has been announced that makes this kind of compromise. A wide range of hybrids is either for sale now or will be soon. Just look to the Samsung Ativ Smart PC Pro and the Asus Transformer Book (which wed fast CPU tablet units to dockable clamshell keyboards), or convertibles such as the Sony Duo 11 and Dell XPS 12 Duo (which use hinges and other mechanisms to hide their keyboards behind their screens). But none of these competing devices are as tablety as Surface Pro: they generally have hinges for flexible screen positioning. They're also generally thicker and heavier.

Surface Pro does have some direct precursors, but they're devices such as HP's Slate 500. They're the "Tablet PCs" that Microsoft has been trying to promote for the last ten years (with little success). Windows 8 certainly makes that kind of device better, but it remains unclear if there's any substantial demand for this style of machine. Little wonder, then, that the PC OEMs have opted for designs that work better as conventional laptops. This is not to mention the even more conventional designs—Ultrabooks equipped with touchscreens—that play it even safer, but which can boast an entirely uncompromised PC experience (and personally, this is the form factor that has me interested).

As such, Microsoft's challenge is not simply to ensure that people don't compare Surface Pro to other tablets and dismiss it out of hand. For Surface Pro to succeed, Microsoft needs to make a case that this third category of device—not quite a laptop, not quite a tablet, but a bit of both—not only exists in its own right, but that it's the best way of fulfilling your computing needs.

That's a message Microsoft has singularly failed to deliver for a decade now. But without it, Surface Pro is doomed to a series of comparisons in which it fares poorly: too expensive for a tablet, too limited for an Ultrabook, a flawed jack-of-all-trades going up against seasoned masters.

322 Reader Comments

Like i said previously, the whole thing is just awkward. Both price and form factor. We need another notch in pretty much all areas (size, power, battery, storage, price, etc.) to make it really viable. Until then, I can only see this as a very niche product.

I think a lot of people who demand Ivy Bridge processors in a tablet-like device want something that's 2/3s laptop, 1/3 tablet. The OEMs have hit this market pretty hard, with the three most successful (in my opinion) designs being the Sony Vaio Duo 11, the Dell XPS 12, and the Lenovo Yoga 13. These devices, which are superb-quality ultrabooks that can be turned into relatively large-and-heavy tablets as a secondary use, make a ton of sense to me.

The Surface's form factor is the opposite: mostly tablet with a touch of laptop (10" screen, keyboard cover that won't support the screen without a desk to set the kickstand on). While that form factor makes a lot of sense for an ARM tablet like the Surface RT, it's much more of a niche product once we start talking about Ivy Bridge devices.

Surface is looking more and more like a white elephant. I was really thinking that the "Pro" version would make a lot more sense than the "RT" version, but I just can't get over the fact that this is one product trying to be two things (a tablet and a laptop) and doing both poorly.

Is there any sort of docking mechanism? That could be useful for when you're not on the go. Throw it on a dock, you use your normal keyboard and mouse. When you want to go, pop it off and use the cover.

I appreciate the thrust of this article but it's kind of an oddly-written review. Lots of repetition of the same criticisms, even worded exactly the same way, and typos.

"Buyers will inevitably compare Surface Pro to other devices on the market that look similar and appear to fit the same basic constraints—hat means comparing to tablets, and this will be catastrophic."

"If Surface Pro is held up against conventional tablets, the result will be catastrophic"

I felt like I got all the information the article had to provide after reading the first few paragraphs.

I have been seriously considering the Surface Pro. I dock enough during the day that draining the battery over 4 hours isn't really a concern to me.

that said, the ATIV Smart PC Pro might fit that niche for me even better. True laptop capability and a keyboard dock that extends battery for when I need it is more flexible, even if it is heavier overall.

I'm ideally trying to find something light to travel with (I'm on an airplane at least twice a month) that has enough battery to last most of a flight and can also become my primary not taking device in meetings. Nothing has quite achieved it for me, but this coming generation of Windows 8 hybrids all are extremely close.

Don't you think that Microsoft and Intel have been talking shop for a long time? Intel is coming up with the next gen Ivybridge, lower power consumption, more integration into the chip of things like WiFi in 2013. I recognized this the day Microsoft announced the Surface, they said 2013 for the Surface Pro, which is the timeline for Intel's upgrade path.

I think some pre reviewers will be eating a little crow come 2013 when they see the release specs, the better battery life, improved performance, integration of technologies on the WIntel platform.

Are you trying to say that the Surface Pro will run a Haswell chip? If so, you are very, very wrong.

Don't you think that Microsoft and Intel have been talking shop for a long time? Intel is coming up with the next gen Ivybridge, lower power consumption, more integration into the chip of things like WiFi in 2013. I recognized this the day Microsoft announced the Surface, they said 2013 for the Surface Pro, which is the timeline for Intel's upgrade path.

I think some pre reviewers will be eating a little crow come 2013 when they see the release specs, the better battery life, improved performance, integration of technologies on the WIntel platform.

Are you trying to say that the Surface Pro will run a Haswell chip? If so, you are very, very wrong.

Yah, it won't be until the next generation that has the Haswell chip. And I might well wait for that generation of CPU to make the jump to my tablet/PC hybrid.

Not an Ultrabook, as they decided to not include the keyboard as default... not a good tablet, as the price is horrendeous for one.

Why the hell include the keyboard with the RT (that should be OK-ish without it) and then leave it out of the Pro (that is supposed to have more uses)?!? Boggles the mind... as if they would intentionally want it to fail.

I see the Surface Pro actually as being more analogous to the Sony VAIO Duo 11 (which I have) and the Samsung ATIV Smart PC. They are effectively tablets as they present their main function, with a bit of ultrabook once you reveal the keyboard/keyboard dock.

Everyone who sees my Sony VAIO Duo 11 calls it a tablet. I have resorted to as well (after jokingly calling it a laptabletop a few times) because it is true that it occupies a weird middle space that defies categorization, but somehow seems to present itself as tablet first, ultrabook second. My CEO was very impressed when I gave him a hands-on demo of the Sony. He already was in the market for something else because he hated the iPad for its lack of content creation capabilities as well as having to carry it around as well as a laptop. He got the Samsung ATIV Smart PC. He calls his machine a tablet. (Side note: His comment after playing a bit with my Sony was that "Microsoft gets it." I think he's a believer in their vision of tablets being more like computers as opposed to being like big phones.)

I would have actually seriously considered the Surface Pro if it was available already. In the business space, or for home users that want productivity in a tablet form factor, and aren't just about playing Words With Friends and updating Facebook, these machines actually fit the bill pretty well. Most working adults that I've run into and who've seen my tablet in action actually express desire to get something like this for themselves. So I wouldn't count it out just yet, if my anecdotal experience is any indication.

I will admit I was hesitant on paying $1200 for the Sony, but I came around pretty quickly when I discovered that spec-wise, it was on par or better than the Macbook Air (depending on which specs you were comparing), which also was priced at $1200. So while it's a different price segment and can't be marketed alongside the iPad per se, I believe it actually might do better. Windows 8 tablets seem to be less consumption devices, and more productivity+consumption, like laptops have always been, but with the added user experience and convenience of a tablet.

EDIT: I would like some feedback regarding the downvotes. If it's just disagreeing, well, ok. But if I'm wrong about something, maybe I can address it or clarify?

I don't understand how 64GB will be sufficient for a real Windows installation for a "Pro" user.

It can certainly be enough in an entry level configuration for a tablet OS that's been slimmed down, but traditional Windows on Intel simply grows over time. As updates come in and programs get installed, the Windows folder can get quite massive.

Case in point: on my Mac at home, I tried Boot Camp with Windows 7 on a 20GB Windows boot partition; Boot Camp apparently requires the main Windows partition to be on the internal hard drive and I didn't want to give up more SSD space than necessary. I figured I'd just keep all my Windows programs and media on an external USB drive. However, especially post-Win7 SP1, that entire 20GB has been consumed with nothing more than Windows itself. I've had to find all sorts of ways to reclaim a gigabyte here and a gigabyte there--things like the WinSxS folder consume multiple gigabytes and just grow over time, with no mechanism to shrink them back down. At some point I will just need to reformat and give it 40GB or so.

I have been seriously considering the Surface Pro. I dock enough during the day that draining the battery over 4 hours isn't really a concern to me.

that said, the ATIV Smart PC Pro might fit that niche for me even better. True laptop capability and a keyboard dock that extends battery for when I need it is more flexible, even if it is heavier overall.

I'm ideally trying to find something light to travel with (I'm on an airplane at least twice a month) that has enough battery to last most of a flight and can also become my primary not taking device in meetings. Nothing has quite achieved it for me, but this coming generation of Windows 8 hybrids all are extremely close.

The Vaio Duo 11 weighs only 2.8 lbs without a slice battery, but can take a slice battery that extends battery life to about eight hours (it's rated at 4:45 without the slice, and I find that's roughly accurate). It's got excellent connectivity for an ultraportable, with everything from HDMI and VGA ports for giving presentations to an ethernet jack for hotels without wifi. Its slider form factor fits perfectly on airplane seat-trays, both folded and unfolded. I've used mine in all-day depositions without complaint.

I think the writer's conclusions are apparent from the outset but I've got to say that this looks good to me. From an IT perspective, fits into Active Directory for management, handles all regular Windows software packages that are out there and is easy to carry around? Looks good and should be flexible enough for users to be happy with in their own time (tablet features, etc.)I'll wait until I can play with one but I've high hopes for this.

Despite the inherent shortcomings of the Surface Pro, I think this device is mostly going to fail due to the poor product positioning.

This should have been marketed as a ultrabook style machine and should have come with a keyboard cover standard. It should have been marketed as Microsoft's lighter and smaller macbook air, that also possesses the added convenience of a touchscreen.

Instead they positioned it as a tablet. A very expensive and very heavy tablet with crappy battery life and a sub-par screen. Good luck with that MS.

Being someone who travels for long durations at a regular interval, I plan on dumping my 2 standard desktops, netbook, and laptop running Windows in favor of the Surface Pro. That way, when I travel, I'll have a full-fledged Windows device for those things that require a full-feature OS, and my Nexus 7 for my basic "media consumption" (I use quotes because I've always disliked that phrase, but it's unfortunately the best description).

Don't you think that Microsoft and Intel have been talking shop for a long time? Intel is coming up with the next gen Ivybridge, lower power consumption, more integration into the chip of things like WiFi in 2013. I recognized this the day Microsoft announced the Surface, they said 2013 for the Surface Pro, which is the timeline for Intel's upgrade path.

I think some pre reviewers will be eating a little crow come 2013 when they see the release specs, the better battery life, improved performance, integration of technologies on the WIntel platform.

And what is going to stop the dominant iPad from also using the same technology?

Or the still growing Android tablets? It's not like either Apple, Google, Samsung, et al, are allergic to Intel.

I think the writer's conclusions are apparent from the outset but I've got to say that this looks good to me. From an IT perspective, fits into Active Directory for management, handles all regular Windows software packages that are out there and is easy to carry around? Looks good and should be flexible enough for users to be happy with in their own time (tablet features, etc.)I'll wait until I can play with one but I've high hopes for this.

Yup. I know there are going to be people where I work who get one of these and for me it's way better than having to support Apple or Android tablets in an Active Directory environment.

I'm still considering one. It would replace my iPad and my laptop so the cost is fine. I just want the software library of a non-mobile OS, portabiity of a tablet/netbook, and digital inking. Looks good to me. Desktop will handle the heavy lifting either way.

I have been seriously considering the Surface Pro. I dock enough during the day that draining the battery over 4 hours isn't really a concern to me.

that said, the ATIV Smart PC Pro might fit that niche for me even better. True laptop capability and a keyboard dock that extends battery for when I need it is more flexible, even if it is heavier overall.

I'm ideally trying to find something light to travel with (I'm on an airplane at least twice a month) that has enough battery to last most of a flight and can also become my primary not taking device in meetings. Nothing has quite achieved it for me, but this coming generation of Windows 8 hybrids all are extremely close.

The Vaio Duo 11 weighs only 2.8 lbs without a slice battery, but can take a slice battery that extends battery life to about eight hours (it's rated at 4:45 without the slice, and I find that's roughly accurate). It's got excellent connectivity for an ultraportable, with everything from HDMI and VGA ports for giving presentations to an ethernet jack for hotels without wifi. Its slider form factor fits perfectly on airplane seat-trays, both folded and unfolded. I've used mine in all-day depositions without complaint.

I don't buy Sony, but thanks for the informed feedback from someone who's actually using one.

Don't you think that Microsoft and Intel have been talking shop for a long time? Intel is coming up with the next gen Ivybridge, lower power consumption, more integration into the chip of things like WiFi in 2013. I recognized this the day Microsoft announced the Surface, they said 2013 for the Surface Pro, which is the timeline for Intel's upgrade path.

I think some pre reviewers will be eating a little crow come 2013 when they see the release specs, the better battery life, improved performance, integration of technologies on the WIntel platform.

Are you trying to say that the Surface Pro will run a Haswell chip? If so, you are very, very wrong.

Yah, it won't be until the next generation that has the Haswell chip. And I might well wait for that generation of CPU to make the jump to my tablet/PC hybrid.

Not an Ultrabook, as they decided to not include the keyboard as default... not a good tablet, as the price is horrendeous for one.

Why the hell include the keyboard with the RT (that should be OK-ish without it) and then leave it out of the Pro (that is supposed to have more uses)?!? Boggles the mind... as if they would intentionally want it to fail.

It may be a cost concern. I'm willing to wager that Microsoft didn't want to break $1000 for the asking price on the high-end, so they elected to not include the Touch/Type Cover. Plus, since it's Win8 Pro, if someone is that desperate to use a keyboard with this one, all they have to do is reach behind their desktop and disconnect their USB keyboard.

Don't you think that Microsoft and Intel have been talking shop for a long time? Intel is coming up with the next gen Ivybridge, lower power consumption, more integration into the chip of things like WiFi in 2013. I recognized this the day Microsoft announced the Surface, they said 2013 for the Surface Pro, which is the timeline for Intel's upgrade path.

I think some pre reviewers will be eating a little crow come 2013 when they see the release specs, the better battery life, improved performance, integration of technologies on the WIntel platform.

Are you trying to say that the Surface Pro will run a Haswell chip? If so, you are very, very wrong.

Yah, it won't be until the next generation that has the Haswell chip. And I might well wait for that generation of CPU to make the jump to my tablet/PC hybrid.

Don't you think that Microsoft and Intel have been talking shop for a long time? Intel is coming up with the next gen Ivybridge, lower power consumption, more integration into the chip of things like WiFi in 2013. I recognized this the day Microsoft announced the Surface, they said 2013 for the Surface Pro, which is the timeline for Intel's upgrade path.

I think some pre reviewers will be eating a little crow come 2013 when they see the release specs, the better battery life, improved performance, integration of technologies on the WIntel platform.

And what is going to stop the dominant iPad from also using the same technology?

Or the still growing Android tablets? It's not like either Apple, Google, Samsung, et al, are allergic to Intel.

One simple thing that puts MS at advantage: They have long experience on x86 with their OS. Neither Google nor Apple have extensive experience putting their mobile OS on x86. No doubt they could do it, but I doubt they could pull off the performance and battery life and stability a Windows device will have on their freshman efforts.

I have to agree with Peter here. I've followed Microsoft's path for a while and gave them a huge benefit of the doubt. I was an early adopter of WP7 - and as much as I like the interface, I think the lack of apps (dead horse), but more importantly the quality of apps on the phone are very lacking. I look at iphones and androids, and the apps run faster, get data faster to display. I was in the market for a tablet and when I first saw the surface unveiled, I was excited and the early rumors pointing to a $300 (or was it $199) device seemed like such an easy purchase decision for me. I had been using windows 8 beta and I was excited to use it on a tablet platform. But once I saw the pricing, I finally had enough. If I want to get productive, I'll buy an ultrabook. If i want a tablet, I guess I'll have to go the Ipad route, because I don't see anything else that competes. I know the nexus 7 and 10 exist, but I really feel like the apps are lacking on Android especially for tablets. Recently I stopped by a Microsoft store and used a surface in person and I didn't come out of there thinking I wanted it. I asked my boss to play around with it. He spent 2 mins and then told me he's stuck and he didn't know how to get out of the app. I explained how Windows 8 works (this itself is kind of silly - why would you let users test the product without giving them the instruction first) and he quickly dismissed it. So I'm not really sure who's going to end up buying this. As a long term Microsoft user, who will still inspite of the problems with WP8 end up getting a Lumia 920 or HTC 8x, I'm going to get an Ipad mini for my tablet and use my ultrabook for work.

I work with a lot of doctors who are moving to Electronic Health Record (EHR) software, which - to be done efficiently - requires that the doctor use the computer on-the-fly (as opposed to the old model where s/he'd scrawl some notes in the paper chart, then dictate the longer-form notes later on.) EHR-adopting doctors and pharmaceutical reps are almost the only people I've seen using Windows tablets over the years that Microsoft has been pushing them. At times, the tablet-PC ecosystem has seemed on the verge of collapse, and these niche users have been worried that they'd end up orphaned completely.

Unfortunately, tablet PCs have really not been very good - they've essentially been somewhat-heavier, somewhat-underpowered versions of their notebook brethren, and their fancy hinges tend to break. (I'm looking at YOU, Lenovo X61t!) In many cases, my doctors have ended up using them at their desks (!) as regular computers, plus the stylus (sorry, Steve Jobs, but a stylus really can be a good way to control a computer.) These doctors have been the ones pestering me for news about the Surface and Surface Pro - and they tend to get very, very puzzled when I try to explain Microsoft's reasoning in bringing out two competing versions. Hell, I'm puzzled myself.

I still don't know whether I should advise them to buy the Surface Pro when it comes out (well, my advice is always to wait at least a couple of months anyway!), or to get one of the other Windows 8 convertibles. The Surface RT just seems like a horrible mistake (it looks like it ought to run Windows software, but it doesn't! Genius!), but the Pro has possibilities if it's marketed right and if they haven't made too many design compromises toward making it "cool" vs. productive.

I use an old Fujitsu Stylistic ST5112. (Yes, I do actually use it almost daily and quite love it with an old OneNote 2003) It's 12", old, really old, has a much lower res IPS display and is a bit on the heavy side compared to tablets, but one thing makes it much, MUCH better than this Pro: battery life. The standard battery is 5h, and I can swap in another 5h one if that wouldn't be enough.

About a month ago I was ready to purchase a Pro when they came out. As a first adopter. Now? I've tried the Metro UI, it is rubbish, as is the scizophrenia of the dual UIs. Many good ideas, mostly bad execution.

I've used Windows since the 3.1 days, but Windows 8 and Surface is really starting to convince me to go Linux. e.g. I did entertain the notion of using drive extender or storage spaces for a new home NAS box, but the serious limitations and problems with it made me go to a linux-based alternative. (for storage, I don't care about WMP integration or other things.)

The specs made my purchase decision easy. My laptop (built for Win7) functions great after my upgrade to Win8. I'll get a Surface RT to complement my tech ecosystem at home and for when I travel (which is admittedly not much).

When it comes time to replace my laptop in a year or so, I'll take a look at Surface Pro 2 or 3 or whatever it is called at that point-in-time, with the new, lower-power consumption chips.

Don't you think that Microsoft and Intel have been talking shop for a long time? Intel is coming up with the next gen Ivybridge, lower power consumption, more integration into the chip of things like WiFi in 2013. I recognized this the day Microsoft announced the Surface, they said 2013 for the Surface Pro, which is the timeline for Intel's upgrade path.

I think some pre reviewers will be eating a little crow come 2013 when they see the release specs, the better battery life, improved performance, integration of technologies on the WIntel platform.

And what is going to stop the dominant iPad from also using the same technology?

Or the still growing Android tablets? It's not like either Apple, Google, Samsung, et al, are allergic to Intel.

One simple thing that puts MS at advantage: They have long experience on x86 with their OS.

Apple has shipped Mac OS X on x86 since 2005, had working x86 code since 1997, and had shipped NeXTStep on x86 since 1993.

To put that in perspective, ARM has only been supported since about 2006 with the development of the iPhone.

And what is going to stop the dominant iPad from also using the same technology?

Unless something drastic changes, I think we can expect iPads for the foreseeable future to use Apple-designed CPUs (maybe using variations on a licensed design in some cases). They've already hit the ground running with the A6X.

If anything, conventional wisdom seems to indicate that MacBook Airs might move to ARM, rather than seeing iPads move to Intel. That would sure make sense from a power consumption perspective (and power/watt has been Apple's quality metric for CPUs for quite some time now).